


The Beginning of Our Lives

by Chillmaster3000



Series: Cerulean AU [1]
Category: The West Wing
Genre: Cerulean AU, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-21
Updated: 2014-08-21
Packaged: 2018-02-14 04:26:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2177850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chillmaster3000/pseuds/Chillmaster3000
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam Seaborn's life has made some pretty drastic, unexpected turns before, but nothing compares to what happens when he meets an unusual visitor to the White House. The first installment of the Cerulean AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Speak Up

Sam was walking past the receiving hall when he stopped. The hall was filled with small children. The children appeared to be five or six, though Sam was not very familiar with kids. They were herded by C.J., the P.R. department, and some harried adults Sam didn’t know. He assumed they were teachers or possibly very unlucky parents. The White House Press Corps ringed the group. Sam walked in, going to C.J. 

“What’s going on?” he asked. 

“The kindergarten class of Ulysses S. Grant Elementary made the President a flag,” C.J. said, pulling a small child away from some vases. “P.R. wants him to meet the kids, so here we are. Kelly, do NOT pull Tom’s hair! For Heaven’s sake!” She ran to some blond kids. Sam looked around at the children. Most of them buzzed around, yapping to each other. Except for one. 

A little girl caught Sam’s eye. She stood by herself, holding a tan teddy bear. The girl was surveying the room like Sam, sort of lost. She saw Sam looking at her and pulled the bear closer. Her eyes, a dark brown color, seemed afraid of him. That was…unusual. Something wasn’t right with this picture. Sam could feel it. 

“Hey, Sam!” one of the P.R. people called. “Whatcha doing?” 

“Just seeing the sights. Mind if I-” 

“Go ahead.” Sam cautiously walked to the little girl with the bear. She didn’t run away or give any other distress signals that would have sent Sam away. She just stared at him suspiciously with those big brown eyes. 

“Hi,” Sam said softly. “Are you busy?” 

“No,” she replied. Her voice was very quiet; Sam could barely hear her over the other children. 

“That’s good. What’s your name? I’m Sam.” 

“Cerulean.” The blonde girl C.J. had yelled at, Kelly, sidled over, looking mischievous. 

“You don’t want to talk to her,” she said. “She doesn’t talk. She think she’s too good for us.” With that, little Kelly bounced away. Cerulean flushed.

“I do talk,” she said, sounding on the edge of tears. “I don’t want to talk to them. They won’t listen. Nobody listens.” 

“They can’t listen if you don’t say anything,” Sam said. Cerulean looked up at him. “I mean, if you have something important to say, you need to say it. Your voice is a very powerful thing. You have to use it.” Cerulean stared at him for a few minutes. Then she smiled. 

“You’re really nice,” she said. “Fred likes you.” 

“Who?” 

“The Bear,” Cerulean clarified, rocking on her feet. Sam smiled at her little happy face, with the brown braids swinging. 

“He’s a handsome bear.” 

“All right, everyone!” C.J.’s voice suddenly filled the room. Cerulean jumped. “The President is almost here! Let’s all come together!” Cerulean waved at Sam as she went to the other children. Sam walked to the edge of the hall, waiting. After a few minutes of scrambling, the children were sorted by height. Cerulean was near the front. Wow, she really was small. 

The Secret Service came first. They cleared the way for the President, followed shortly thereafter by Leo. Sam suddenly remembered he was supposed to be working. Oops… 

“Hello, Everyone!” Bartlet said cheerfully. 

“Good afternoon, Mr. President!” the children replied. 

“Oh, that wasn’t loud enough! I can’t hear you!” Leo, ignoring the President with the children, went to Sam. The children loudly greeted the President. 

“What are you doing here?” he asked. 

“Just thought I’d stop by. Do you want me to go?” Sam asked.

“Nah, you can stay. I was curious, is all.”

“Okay, everyone, you get one question!” C.J. said. Predictably, all the children raised their hands. President Bartlet picked several children with the usual questions about the White House. 

“You there, with the braids and the bear!” he said. “What’s your name?” 

“Cerulean, sir!” All the teachers sighed, as if to say Oh, brother. Sam wondered if that Kelly had been parroting teachers. It annoyed him. 

“That’s a pretty name! All right, what’s your question?”

“Mr. President, do you put all the bad people in jail?” Cerulean asked. The teachers were stunned, and Bartlet paused a moment. 

“That’s one smart kid,” Leo muttered. Sam nodded. 

“Well, Cerulean, I try to put ‘bad people’ in jail when I can, but first I need proof that they’ve done something wrong,” Bartlet said. “Unfortunately, I’m not all-knowing. People do have to tell me things.” The press laughed. “Okay! Who’s next?” 

* 

“Then we have to talk about that new bill proposed in the House yesterday. We’re going to need a few lines about-” Toby stopped talking. He and Sam had been discussing the next speech for the President. “Sam.” 

“Yes, Toby?” 

“Why is there a small child wandering through the West Wing?” Toby asked, pointing. Sam followed his gaze across the bull pen to outside Josh’s office, where Cerulean was walking with her Fred. 

“Let’s find out,” Sam suggested. He went through the bull pen to the little girl. 

“Hi, Mr. Sam.” 

“Hello, Cerulean. What are you doing?” Sam asked as Toby followed him over. 

“I want to talk to the President,” Cerulean said. 

“You and nearly every other person in the country,” Toby muttered. 

“I have to tell him something,” Cerulean insisted “It’s in-port-ant.” Sam sighed. 

“Maybe you could see him for a minute,” he said. 

“What?” Toby said. 

“Look, we’ll have to call the school and it’ll take them a few minutes to get here, so why not see if he has a minute?” Sam said. “This may or may not be due to something I said, anyway…” 

“Of course it is!” Toby said, throwing his hands up in the air. “Why am I not surprised? You can handle this on your own.” The older man walked away. Cerulean looked up with her big brown eyes. 

“Thanks, Mr. Sam.” 

“Don’t worry about it.” Sam took Cerulean by the shoulder and walked to Kathy’s desk. 

“Kathy, could you call Ulysses S. Grant Elementary? We have one of their students,” Sam said. 

“Sure thing, Sam.” 

Sam led Cerulean to the Oval Office. No one noticed the little girl until they reached Charlie. 

“Uh, Sam? Why do you have a kindergartener?” the young man asked. 

“It’s kind of a long story, Charlie. Is the President in?” 

“I’ll check. I think he’s just with Leo.” Charlie went to the door and stuck his head in. After a moment and some words Sam and Cerulean couldn’t hear, he returned. 

“He says you can come in,” Charlie said. Sam looked down at Cerulean. 

“Go on,” he said, giving her shoulder a soft push. Charlie held the door open and nodded at Cerulean. The little girl walked into the Oval Office, Sam behind her. Bartlet and Leo regarded Cerulean with some surprise. Then they looked to Sam curiously.

“She says she has something important to tell you,” Sam said, slightly apologetic. 

“Okay,” Leo said slowly. “Didn’t the bus leave already?” 

“Yeah,” Cerulean said. She rocked on her feet, taking the space in. “You have a very nice office, Mr. President.” 

“Thank you, Cerulean,” Bartlet said. “Why don’t you and I have a seat, and you can tell me what it is you have to say.” He sat in one of the chairs near his desk. Cerulean shyly walked to the end of the couch and clambered up onto the cushion. 

“Mr. President,” Cerulean said. “You said if people tell you about the bad people, you’ll put them in jail? The bad people?” Her little voice was nervous, stumbling over the words. 

“Yes,” Bartlet said, cautious. “Is that what you wanted to tell me?” Leo glanced at Sam, who shrugged. 

“Yes, Mr. President. I know someone who’s, who’s very bad. They should be put in jail.” 

“Why do you think that?” Bartlet asked. 

“He beats up kids,” Cerulean said quickly. “They don’t do anything wrong, promise. They’re just there when things go wrong for him, and it’s not fair, Mr. President, it’s really not.” 

“That’s very true, Cerulean,” Bartlet said. His fists clenched discreetly at the ends of the arms of his chair. Bartlet’s eyes, blue-gray with the occasional mischievous twinkle, were steely. Sam had the sudden feeling the FBI would soon be involved, if not the National Guard. 

“How often does this happen?” Bartlet asked. 

“Every day, Mr. President. Especially after Mr. Qaeda messes up.” 

“Qaeda?” Leo, Sam, and Bartlet repeated together. Cerulean nodded. 

“Yeah. Mr. Al Qaeda. He calls sometimes,” she said. Bartlet looked up at the other men. 

“Cerulean, you sit here a minute, I need to talk to Leo and Sam.” “Yes, Mr. President.” Leo and Sam met the President at the desk. Sam glanced at Cerulean, who was understandably nervous. He smiled at her quickly before turning back to the President. 

“Al-Qaeda is a terrorist group responsible for the deaths of many American citizens, not to mention their own people,” Bartlet said. 

“She doesn’t know that,” Sam said. “She thinks it’s a person. The implications…they’re beyond her understanding.” 

“Obviously, or she would have said that right off,” Leo said. “If this man does contact Al-Qaeda, he’s a terrorist. But that is a very big if, Mr. President.” 

“We should investigate it,” Bartlet said. 

“No one’s going to take her seriously,” Leo pointed out. “She’s a five-year-old who carries around a teddy bear. She probably thinks a monster lives under her bed.” 

“That’s why they call it an anonymous tip,” Sam said. “And for the record, there may actually be a monster, though he probably doesn’t live under the bed.” 

“We will investigate it,” Bartlet deliberated. He walked back to his chair and sat again. 

“We are going to look into this, young lady,” Bartlet said. “Now, tell me your name again, so I don’t forget it.” 

“Cerulean Barber, Mr. President,” she said. 

“And what is the man’s name?” 

“Thomas Barber.” 

“Oh, no…” Sam murmured, heart sinking. 

“Is he related to you?” Bartlet asked. Cerulean nodded. 

“My daddy, Mr. President.” 

“Has he hurt you recently?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Can you show me?” Cerulean pulled up her sleeve. A bruise shaped like knuckles was slowly changing from yellow-green to purple just above her elbow. Cerulean’s arm was littered with other bruises. One resembled a paperweight. Sam felt sick. 

“Cerulean, here’s what we’re going to do,” Bartlet said. “Leo and I are going to work with this information. I would like you to stay with Sam. You won’t go anywhere without him unless you get a call from me or Leo. Do you understand?” 

“Yes, Mr. President.” Bartlet turned to Sam. 

“Sam, has the school been called?” he asked. Sam nodded.

“Yes, Mr. President.” 

“Call them again. Tell them not to come. And try not to let this get around.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Watch her,” Bartlet said. Sam nodded again. 

“Yes, sir.” Sam came to Cerulean. She stood and held Sam’s hand. He was leading Cerulean past Mrs. Landingham before he noticed. Cerulean had very tiny hands, and her fingers could barely wrap around a few of his. 

“Hello, Sam. Have some cookies,” Mrs. Landingham said, holding out the snacks. “One for you, and one for your friend.” 

“Thank you, Mrs. Landingham.” Sam accepted the cookies and handed one to Cerulean. 

“Thanks,” Cerulean said. 

“You’re welcome, sweetheart,” Mrs. Landingham replied. Cerulean smiled shyly. 

“Charlie!” Josh came running up. “I need to talk to Leo! Is he in there?” 

“The President’s talking to him,” Sam supplied. Josh looked at Sam and followed his arm down to Cerulean. Josh raises an eyebrow. “Hey, Sam. Who’s she?” Josh asked, gesturing to Cerulean. Sam looked down at her, then back at Josh. 

“Um…ask Leo. We gotta go.” Sam led Cerulean back to the bullpen. Kathy came up to them. 

“I talked to the school. Her father’s going to be here in half an hour,” she said. Cerulean pressed herself against Sam’s leg. 

“Can you contact him?” Sam asked. 

“No, he’s in his car.” 

“Listen, when he gets here, you need to call security. Also, can you find a coloring book?” Sam said. Confused, Kathy nodded. Sam took Cerulean into his office. She looked at his shelves of legal volumes in awe. 

“That’s a lot of books,” she said. “Have you read all of them?” 

“Probably not,” Sam said. “Well, you can sit wherever you want. Kathy’s getting a coloring book for you, and I think I have some crayons in here. Let’s look for the crayons in my desk.” They went to his desk, leaving their cookies on top. Sam opened the bottom right drawer. Cerulean set Fred aside to paw through the miscellaneous crap with Sam. 

“Do you live here, Mr. Sam?” she asked. 

“No. Although it can feel like I never leave.” Sam pulled out some broken pens and threw them out. 

“Where do you live?” Cerulean came across a letter opener. Sam quickly put that on his desk. 

“In an apartment a few miles away. Say, I thought I lost that!” He picked up a small snowglobe from San Francisco that he’d gotten more than twenty years ago and put it next to the letter opener. 

“I live in Virginia,” Cerulean said, finding some balled-up paper. “You have a lot of stuff, Mr. Sam.” Sam saw a matchbook and grabbed that before Cerulean could.

“I haven’t gone through this drawer in ages, that’s why it’s so crowded. I think some of this stuff has been here since we were elected!” 

“Sam! I have the- Sam? Where are you?” Ainsley’s voice entered. Sam looked over his desk to see the blonde Republican standing at his door. 

“Hi, Ainsley.” 

“Sam, what are you doing?” Ainsley asked. Sam paused. 

“Helping the President. What are you doing?” 

“I’ve got your summary on the House proposition and the coloring book,” Ainsley said. “Incidentally, why do you need a coloring book?” Sam stood up, looking for an answer. 

“Well-” 

“Mr. Sam, I found the crayons,” Cerulean said, also standing. Ainsley could just see the top of Cerulean’s head over Sam’s desk if his estimation was right. Sam bit the bullet. 

“This is why,” Sam said. “Good job, Cerulean. This is Ainsley Hayes. Ainsley, this is Cerulean, a guest of the President.” Shocked, Ainsley waved. 

“Hi, Miss Ainsley Hayes,” Cerulean said. 

“Hi,” Ainsley said. “I guess this is for you.” She held out the coloring book. 

“Thank you, Miss Ainsley Hayes.” Cerulean accepted the coloring book. She moved to the corner and sat down with the crayons and book. 

“Sam, what’s going on?” Ainsley asked. 

“I told you, I’m helping the President. Can I see the summary?” Sam said. Ainsley gave it to him. 

“Why does the President want you to watch a kindergartener?” 

“It’s complicated, Ainsley. I can’t talk about it,” Sam replied, skimming through the summary. “I like this, excellent work.” 

“You can’t talk about it, or you don’t trust me?” Ainsley said. “I’m the Assistant White House Counsel-” 

“And you know that some things are classified. This is one of those things. Thanks for your help.” 

“Miss Ainsley Hayes?” Cerulean said. Sam and Ainsley looked at the little girl. She was smiling so happily Sam thought he saw Ainsley melt a little. 

“Thank you so much for the coloring book. It’s really cool,” Cerulean said. 

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” Ainsley turned to Sam. “Do you need any help? I could take care of her.” Sam smiled. 

“Thanks, but I’ve got it.”  
*


	2. The First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Childcare, it turns out, is not something Sam or Josh knows much about. But it's only a few hours, what could go wrong?

“Hey, Sam, Toby says- Holy sheep!” Josh said. Sam looked up at him.

“Really? Holy sheep? That’s what you’re going with?” Sam asked. 

“Sam, there’s a child present,” Josh said. “And I’m fairly certain something awful has happened to her leg.” Sam turned from his work to Cerulean. She was lying on the floor, coloring. Her legs were swinging and Fred sat next to her. A long, nasty cut circled her left leg.

“Cerulean, what happened?” Sam asked. She looked at him, then her leg.

“What happened to- oh. Mr. Qaeda got stopped at customs.” Cerulean went back to coloring as a chill ran down Sam’s spine. Josh came to Sam’s desk.

“I’m not a doctor, but that looks bad,” he said in a quiet voice. “Do you think we should disinfect it or something?”

“It’s not a bad idea,” Sam said. “How do we do that?” Josh thought on the question. He went to the door and leaned out of it.

“Bonnie! How do you disinfect a cut?” he shouted.

“Hydrogen peroxide! Why?” Bonnie replied from across the bullpen.

“We need some!” Josh answered.

“What did you do?” Bonnie demanded, accusatory.

“Nothing! Get me the hydrogen peroxide!” 

“He’s really loud,” Cerulean observed. Sam nodded.

*

“Josh? Bonnie says- Oh My God!” C.J. yelped as she entered Sam’s office. Josh and Sam stopped what they were doing to look at her.

“What?” Josh asked, holding the bottle of peroxide.

“What are you two doing to that little girl?” C.J. demanded, hands on her hips. Sam, sitting on the floor with Cerulean, glanced at Josh, who was about to tip the bottle over her leg.

“We’re trying to disinfect her cut,” Sam said, turning back to C.J.

“In your office? Do you know anything?” she replied.

“Well, yeah. They wouldn’t let us work in the White House if we didn’t,” Josh said.

“Anything about children? Or first aid?” 

“Not really,” Sam admitted. “My knowledge is lacking there.”

“Obviously,” C.J. said. 

“Is she your big sister?” Cerulean asked.

“It sure feels like it,” C.J. replied. “Josh, cap that bottle this instant. It stains carpet. Sam, you should at least do this over a sink or a bathtub, or for God’s sake a toilet.”

“It stains?” Josh asked. “Huh. Learn something new.”

“Where am I supposed to find a bathtub in the White House?” Sam asked. “One that doesn’t belong to the President, anyway…”

“What happened to dis-inspecting?” Cerulean added. C.J. sighed.

“Honey, you’re going to come with me. Josh, peroxide please?” she said. Josh handed her the bottle.

“How do you know about kids?” he asked.

“Please. I have a niece, and I babysat when I was a kid. I can handle a five-year-old better than you two.”

“Wait, I’m supposed to watch her,” Sam said.

“You can watch the door of the women’s locker room while I take care of this. Come on, honey.” C.J. held her hand out to Cerulean, who twisted her head to look at Sam.

“Is that okay, Mr. Sam?” she asked.

“Yes. This is Miss C.J. She’s a very nice lady,” Sam said. Cerulean nodded and took C.J.’s hand.

“Most of the time,” Josh added, smiling.

“Donna says you need to answer the phone or you’re fired,” C.J. replied darkly, leading Cerulean out.

*

C.J. sat Cerulean on the sink in the women’s locker room. On the way to the locker room, Sam had broken under C.J.’s death glare and told her what had transpired in the Oval. C.J. wanted to find this girl’s father and throttle him. Instead, she opened the bottle of hydrogen peroxide to take care of Cerulean’s cut.

“Okay, honey. This will sting a little bit.” C.J. poured it slowly and carefully onto the cut on Cerulean’s leg, where it bubbled viciously.

“Ow,” Cerulean said, confused. “Ow! That hurts, Miss C.J.”

“I know, honey. It’s gonna hurt a lot more than I thought it would,” C.J. said, eyeing the never-ceasing bubbles. 

“Ow! It hurts a lot!” Cerulean exclaimed. Tears started to run down her cheeks. C.J. tried putting water on the wound to soothe the pain. The peroxide ran to the other side of Cerulean’s leg and she shrieked.

“It hurts! It hurts!”

“It’ll be over in a second!” C.J. replied. “My God. Where have you put that leg?” Cerulean didn’t answer; she was busy crying and trying to escape. C.J. had to wrap her arms around Cerulean to keep her from falling off the sink. Cerulean’s legs kicked wildly and she seemed to be trying to crawl into C.J.’s shirt to get away.

“C.J.!” Donna said, entering. “What’s going on? Why is she crying?”

“This cut is very dirty,” C.J. said. “Get some gauze for her leg, would you? And tell Sam we’ll be out in a minute.”

“He’s standing outside the door.”

“Of course he is.”

*

Sam waited outside for what seemed like forever. The screaming was awful to hear, and Sam wasn’t much happier when it turned to sobbing. Donna scurried in and out, not telling him anything. Finally, all three exited. Cerulean was in C.J.’s arms, sniffling. A line of gauze ran around her leg.

“I don’t like dis-inspecting,” Cerulean said with a hiccup. Cerulean reached for Sam, and he took her from C.J. with a slight glare.

“Imagine that had happened in your office,” C.J. said, not looking remotely guilty. “She’d be screaming, peroxide would go everywhere, Toby would come in-”

“Fine, you were right. Thank you,” Sam said reluctantly. C.J. nodded with a small measure of triumph. 

“Sam!” A shout made them turn to see Ainsley storming up to them. Sam sighed in frustration.

“What have you been doing to that poor child?” she demanded. “I could hear her shrieking from my office!”

“You’re in trouble,” Donna said with a slight smile. Sam ignored her and scowled at Ainsley.

“Your office is the Steam Pipe Trunk Distribution Venue. You hear everything from the women’s locker room,” Sam replied. “Which is where she was, so clearly I had nothing to do with it.”

“Ainsley, Cerulean had a very large cut and I was disinfecting it. Nothing’s wrong,” C.J. said. “Anymore.”

“How did she get that cut?” Ainsley asked.

“Mr. Qa-”

“It happened before she got here,” Sam interrupted, giving Cerulean a look. She did not argue. “Everything is fine.” Ainsley looked from C.J. to Donna, then Cerulean to Sam, who smiled.

“All right,” Ainsley conceded. “But if I hear anymore screaming, I’m calling DYFS.” She turned and walked away.

“Bye, Miss Ainsley Hayes,” Cerulean called. Ainsley smiled over her shoulder. C.J. chuckled.

“She is cute. When she’s not trying to crawl up my shirt.”

“Yeah. Let’s go back to my office,” Sam said to Cerulean.

“Okay!” Cerulean put her arms around his neck. Sam carried Cerulean back through the bullpen. Kathy was waiting for them with a grave expression. 

“He’s outside,” she said, voice grave.

“Who?” Sam said.

“Thomas Barber.” Cerulean buried her face in Sam’s neck. He could feel her shaking slightly.

“Oh. Did you call security and let them know to stop him?”

“I will in a minute.”

“ Thanks, Kathy. Anything else I should know?” Sam asked.

“Toby wants to know how the House speech is going,” Kathy said.

“Slowly. But it’s going. Actually, just don’t mention it to Toby.”

“Who’s Toby?” Cerulean said, cautiously lifting her head.

“My boss. That grumpy bald guy from earlier,” Sam said.

“I heard that!” Toby shouted from his office.

“Hide!” Cerulean whispered, clutching Sam. He laughed and took her into his office. She hopped down from his arms to sit with her cookie from Mrs. Landingham and her coloring book. Sam went to his desk. He got about ten minutes of good, solid work in before he heard a squeak from Cerulean.

“What is it?” Sam asked, looking up. Cerulean was kneeling on a chair, peeping over the back at the bullpen. She ran from her chair to Sam. He looked out of the blinds to see what had her so scared.

Outside, an impossibly handsome man was storming into the West Wing. His dark, curly hair was carefully styled and his brown eyes flamed. The people in the bullpen practically ran from him as he started shouting. Cerulean crawled onto Sam’s lap. He covered her ears.

“Where is that little bitch? How dare she! Someone find her! Insolent little-” Security agents grabbed the man, who swore at them with a mighty venom. Cerulean  
curled up in Sam’s lap. The man was dragged away and Cerulean started to cry.

“He’s gonna get me! Don’t let him get me, Mr. Sam!” 

“He won’t get you. You’re safe now,” Sam soothed. Josh and Toby entered, both unusually quiet. Josh spoke first.

“Sam, was that her-”

“Yeah,” Sam said.

“But that was Thomas Barber,” Toby said. “Thomas Barber is a prominent Republican millionaire. Why was he just arrested in the West Wing?” His voice rose as he spoke. Cerulean shivered.

“He’s a terrorist,” Sam said.

“Do you have any proof?” Josh asked.

“Yeah.”

“It had better be some damn good proof,” Toby said. “The Press is going to have a field day with this-”

“He’s also a child abuser,” Sam interrupted. Toby stopped. He and Josh looked at Cerulean, who had just started to calm down.

“I want a gun,” Josh said. “You know what? I don’t want a gun. I’ll take a sledge hammer, and I’ll-”

“You have a sledge hammer?” Sam asked.

“Well, no, but I could get one!”

“My brother Zach says sledge hammers are dangerous,” Cerulean piped up. The man all looked at her, and she hiccupped.

“Your brother is right,” Sam said. “Sledge hammers are very dangerous, which is why Mr. Josh isn’t getting one.”

“I should say not!” Dr. Bartlet walked into the office. Sam stood up. Cerulean scrambled for a tighter grip on his shirt and Sam used his other arm to support her.

“Good evening, ma’am,” Josh said.

"Can I help you with something, Dr. Bartlet?" Sam asked.

"I was told that I have a guest tonight," Dr. Bartlet said. She came closer to the desk and smiled at Cerulean. "Hi, sweetie. I'm Dr. Bartlet. The President is my husband."

"Hi, Dr. Bartlet," Cerulean said shyly. "I'm Cerulean."

"Cerulean, how would you like to be a princess tonight?" Cerulean's eyes lit up.

"Okay!" she replied. "Can Fred come, too?" Dr. Bartlet, Josh and Toby raised eyebrows.

"Who?" they asked in unison.

"The Bear," Sam and Cerulean answered.

"Of course," Dr. Bartlet said. "You grab him and we can go." 

"Yes, Dr. Bartlet." Cerulean scrambled down from Sam's arms and went to find Fred. Dr. Bartlet looked at Sam.

"I heard you've had a busy afternoon," she said, amused.

"Yes, ma'am," Sam said with a smile.

"You should try it with three of them."

"I can't imagine being successful."

"Dr. Bartlet, is Mr. Sam coming too?" Cerulean asked. Josh sniggered and mouthed the words 'Princess Sam.' Sam glared at him.

"No, Mr. Sam has work to do. But we can see him tomorrow," Dr. Bartlet said. Cerulean nodded. She walked to Sam and held her arms out. He lifted her up again.

"See ya later, Mr. Sam," Cerulean said. She kissed him on the cheek. Then Sam set her down and she followed Dr. Bartlet out.

"Well, she’s cute," Josh said. Sam nodded.

"Sam, how much work have you gotten done this afternoon?" Toby asked. Sam shrugged evasively, knowing this wasn’t going to end well for him.

"Some."

"Sam," Toby said, impatient. "That speech is important."

"I'll get it done, I have all night," Sam said, hoping to ward off shouting or lecturing.

"Go and get it done, then."

"This is my office. You go," Sam said. Toby started muttering foully, but he left without any further scolding. Josh looked at Sam.

"You know, she kinda makes you wonder if having kids would be worth it," Josh said.

"We work eighteen hour days," Sam said. "And we'd need wives or girlfriends for the procreation."

"I said she made me wonder! I didn't say I was planning on it," Josh replied. "And the second part, we could adopt…you know, if-"

"If we ever get out of the office," Sam interrupted with a smile.

"Go write your speech," Josh said, disgusted. Sam laughed at his friend's retreating back. His smile dropped when he remembered that speech he was supposed to be writing.

*

Zachary Barber, age eleven, sat in his father's big chair. Dad hadn't come home yet, even though Jason was already in bed. Jeremy, who was thirteen, said he was in charge, but all he did was yell a lot and lock himself in Dad's office. Zach was the one who made the dinner, helped Jason with his homework and put Jason, who was only eight, to bed. He did that most of the time anyway, except for the dinner part, so he really didn't care that Dad wasn't home yet. Dad just yelled a lot and hit somebody. Cerule wasn't home, either, which bothered Zach. 

She was the baby, only five. Zach had been taking care of her as long as he could remember. No one else would, so Zach did. Jason helped, playing with Cerule and making her smile. But he was only eight and he had to avoid Dad a lot 'cause Dad got mad at him a lot. Zach, though, he was eleven, which made him almost a grownup. He was really tall, too, so people always thought he was the oldest. Jeremy really didn't like that. He also wasn't too fond of Cerule. Jeremy called her names and pulled her hair. Sometimes Zach kept Cerule and Jason in his room so Dad and Jeremy would leave them alone. Of course, then they'd come after him, but Zach was big and could handle that better than Jason or Cerule. Zach was currently nursing a black eye from one of these encounters. Jeremy had punched him in the face after Zach had asked if Jeremy had done his homework. Jeremy hadn't, of course, and he made Zach do it. Now Zach was done and holding an icepack on his face. Jeremy was in Dad's office with that phone line. When the phone rang, Zach got to pick it up.

"Barber residence, Zach speaking."

"Hi, Zach!" Cerule said. 

"Hey, Cerule. Where are you? Dad went to get you hours ago."

"I'm at the White House."

"The White's house?" Zach said.

"No, silly! The President's White House!" she giggled. Zach's mouth fell open and he dropped the icepack. 

"No way!" he said finally. "How'd you get there?"

"How'd she get where?" Jeremy asked. He'd come out of the office to stare suspiciously at Zach, who put a hand on the receiver.

"She's at the White's house," Zach said. "Her friend Abbey White. The one you said looked like a rat?" Jeremy paused.

"You'd better not be lying," he said.

"Would I lie to you?" Zach said Jeremy shook his head and left. Zach went back to the phone, where Cerule had just finished speaking.

"Okay, you're gonna have to say that again, Jeremy was talkin' too…"

*

Sam spent hours on that speech. It didn't like him, but then what speech was ever easy? Sam finally had a draft he liked when the phone rang.

"Sam Seaborn," he said, picking up the phone.

"Hi, Sam. It's Dr. Bartlet."

"Hello, ma'am. What can I do for you?"

"It's bedtime at the Residence, and someone would like to say goodnight," Dr. Bartlet said. "Here she is." The phone was passed and Sam could hear whispering.

"Hi, Mr. Sam," Cerulean's voice said.

"Hi, Cerulean. How is the White House?"

"It's really big! Dr. Bartlet took me 'splorin, and we had dinner with Mr. President and Mr. Charlie," she said. "Mr. President is lots of fun. He tells good stories."

"He does. Are you a princess?"

"What?" Sam looked up to see Toby in the doorway. Sam shushed him, much to Toby’s annoyance.

"Yeah! Dr. Bartlet gave me a makeover! My nails are blue now." Cerulean paused. "Dr. Bartlet says I have to go to bed now. Goodnight, Mr. Sam."

"Goodnight, Cerulean. I'll see you tomorrow," Sam said.

"See ya." Cerulean hung up. Sam looked up at Toby.

"This draft is done," he said.

"Good, considering how much time you've spent on it," Toby replied acidly. He sat in one of Sam's chairs. "Give it to me. Let's go over it."

*

"Josh?" Donna said, coming to his office door.

"Yes?" Josh replied, trying to finish up.

"Who was that guy, the really loud one?"

"Thomas Barber." Donna frowned.

"The multi-millionaire?" she asked.

"The very same."

"Why was he so mad? He seems so nice on TV."

"The FBI was arresting him for terrorism and child abuse," Josh said, standing.

"Well, that's not good."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious." Josh walked past her.

"You're welcome, Lieutenant Sarcasm," Donna said, following him. "Who was he yelling at?"

"Everyone?" Josh suggested. “Seriously, he was really loud.”

"I meant what ‘she’ he was referring to when he screamed that the ‘little bitch was going to pay,’ Josh."

"His daughter. She turned him in."

"Really? Who is she?" Donna asked.

"The little girl Sam was watching."

"Aw! I thought she was Sam's niece or something. Wait, did Barber give her that cut on her leg?"

"And several bruises, or so I’ve been told," Josh answered. Donna’s mouth dropped open.

"That bastard! Will he get the death penalty?" she demanded. Josh rolled his eyes.

"No. He hasn't killed anyone, Donna, and that’s the only thing I can think of that actually gets the death penalty anymore," he said.

"How can you be sure? I bet no one thought he was a terrorist either," Donna said.

"Good night, Donna." Josh walked out of the bullpen. Donna followed him.

"But, Josh, what if he did kill someone?" she asked. Josh shrugged.

"We'll use a guillotine or something. Go home, Donna, it’s over now."


	3. Day Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cerulean makes a surprising new friend, Sam and Ainsley have a disagreement, and Josh is unprepared to handle a kid on his own.

The morning dawned peacefully in D.C. Pink rays and yellow streams lighted upon the White House as a young man chased a small girl through the Residence.

"Cerulean, you can't wake up the President!"

"I won't, Mr. Charlie! What's in here?"

*

When Sam came into work, Toby had that little pink ball out. That never meant anything good for Sam.

Bounce. Bounce. The ball hit the window twice.

"One minute, Toby!" Sam called.

Bounce. Bounce. The ball rebounded twice more. Sam rolled his eyes.

"Fine!" Sam went over to Toby's office. "What?"

"The President is going to need someone to watch Cerulean this morning," Toby said, ball now in hand. "It's probably going to be you."

"So?" Sam said.

"You got very little work done when she was here yesterday," Toby continued. "So, I have decided that you will get a half-hour, and then I'll watch her."

"I don't think that's fair," Sam said.

"Life's not fair," Toby replied. Sam scowled and went back to his own office. In about five minutes, Kathy came in. 

"Sam, the President wants to know if you'll watch Cerulean again."

"Yeah, sure."

"Half an hour!" Toby called. Sam scowled again. He'd show Toby…

*

Cerulean came hopping in about five minutes later, her swinging braids adorned with patriotic bows. She happily showed off her new manicure and a handmade bracelet for Fred. Sam let Cerulean bounce for a while, then suggested they go exploring. 

"Okay!" Cerulean said. Sam took her hand and off they went.

*

"Wow. That's a lot of people," Cerulean observed, peering into the Press Room carefully. Sam nodded.

"These people help write the newspapers," he said. "Miss C.J. tells them what the President says about things that happen."

"That looks hard."

"C.J.!" several people shouted, punctuating the statement.

"Yes, Mark?"

"Thomas Barber was arrested in the building yesterday! Can you tell us anything about that?"

"Let's move on," Sam suggested.

*

"Miss Ainsley Hayes!" Ainsley, finishing a rather large stack of paperwork, looked up to see Cerulean and Sam in her doorway. Ainsley wondered why Sam would have Cerulean two days in a row. Perhaps it had something to do with the very loud arrest in the Communications bullpen yesterday. 

"Hi, guys! What brings you down here?" Ainsley asked. Cerulean bounced in. 

"We're 'splorin'," Cerulean said. She walked over to Ainsley's posters. "These are pretty, Miss Ainsley Hayes."

"Aw, thanks!" Ainsley stood. "Sam, shouldn't you-"

"I will when we go back upstairs," Sam interrupted. "Toby's taking responsibility of Cerulean when I get back. He set a time limit on me, can you believe it?"

"When's the limit?" Ainsley asked. Sam glanced at his watch and shrugged.

"Five minutes ago."

"Sam!" Ainsley swatted at him and Sam ducked. Unfortunately, the ducking put his face in the path of her hand, so the swat turned into a very loud slap.

"Ow!"

"Oh my Lord, Sam, I am so sorry!" Ainsley said, covering her mouth with her hands. Sam rubbed at his cheek wincing. Cerulean looked at the two of them.

"Mr. Sam, what did you do?" she asked.

"Nothing," Sam replied. "Ainsley, what do you say we forget about the time limit and our unfortunate clumsiness?" Ainsley nodded, still somewhat speechless from the red mark on Sam's face and her now-tingling hand.

“Was he being bad, Miss Ainsley Hayes?” Cerulean said. 

“What? No, it was an accident, sweetie, it had nothing to do with-” All the pieces clicked into place and Ainsley gasped in shock. Sam seemed to see it in her face.

“Don’t say anything,” he said. “Cerulean, we don’t hit people for being bad. We don’t hit people unless they’re trying to hurt us. This time was an accident, Miss Ainsley didn’t mean to hit me.” Cerulean seemed uncertain, but she nodded anyway.

“Okay.”

*

Toby was waiting outside Sam's office, arms crossed over his chest. He looked pointedly at his watch as Sam and Cerulean walked over.

"You're late," Toby said. Sam scowled.

"I lost track of time."

"What happened to your face?"

"I think I have a wonderful face, and there is nothing wrong with it," Sam said. Toby shrugged.

"Whatever. I get an extra fifteen minutes. Go on, I'll take care of her." Cerulean looked up at Sam, who sighed.

"I'll see you later, Cerulean," he said. 

"Okay. See ya, Mr. Sam." Sam went into his office. He saw Toby lean down and say something quietly to Cerulean. She giggled. Sam got to work. He was in the zone when-

Thud. Giggle.  
Thud. Squeal.  
Thud. Giggle.

Annoyed, Sam looked up to see Toby bouncing the ball against the wall and Cerulean trying to catch it. Sam got up and walked over.

"You know, it's hard to concentrate with that noise," he said.

"Okay. We'll move," Toby said, eyes gleaming wickedly. "By the way, Josh is watching Cerulean next."

"That's not fair!" Sam protested.

"No complaining from you, Slappy."

*

"Josh!" 

"What!??" Josh threw his hands up in the air. He'd had three awful meetings this morning, each more irritating and inane than the last. Josh was consequently really not in the mood for Donna's rambling.

"Toby says you have to watch Cerulean so Sam will get some work done!" Donna called.

"What? I know nothing about kids!" Josh demanded. Hanging out with the kid for a few minutes was one thing, being responsible for her was another. “How am I  
supposed to watch her?” Donna entered.

"How should I know? Do I look like a babysitter to you?" she asked.

"You're my assistant. You assist me. Assist me in childcare!"

"I'm not watching her for you,” Donna said. Damn, there went Plan A. “Why don't you use that kid's book someone sent you when you were in the hospital? I hear it's really good." Josh opened his bottom right drawer where many things without homes were shoved. He took out the book from under some pamphlets from the NRA and the NEA.

"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." Josh looked at the book. "Harry Potter, ordinary eleven year old, blah, blah, blah…Lord Voldemort? Hogwarts? This is ridiculous! Who'd wanna read about sorcerers?"

"He's a wizard, Josh," Donna said.

"Whatever. It's still stupid," Josh said, dropping the book on his desk.

"How would you know? You've never read it."

"Look at the cover! Kid's got a cape and a broomstick!"

"It's a kid's book, Josh. You don't have to like it, but how else are you gonna entertain a little girl?" Donna asked. Josh grimaced.

"Fine. But I won't like it!" he said.

“No one’s telling you to like it. You just have to read it,” Donna said, turning to go. “You’ve got ten minutes before she shows!”

*

At nine forty five, Leo went to go find Josh. Toby had said Josh, for a reason he wouldn't explain and Sam scowled at, was busy until then. Leo had waited, impatiently, but he had waited, and now he needed Josh.

"Where's Donna?" Leo wondered aloud as he passed her empty desk.

"She's in Josh's office," Larry supplied from another desk.

"Thanks." Leo opened Josh's door without knocking. Surprisingly, Josh had the little girl, Cerulean, on his lap. They were reading a book Leo was entirely unfamiliar with, Josh narrating while Cerulean looked on. Donna was pretending to straighten Josh's office while she listened.

"Ahem," Leo said. Josh stopped and the three looked up at Leo.

"Uh, hey, Leo. What's up?" Josh said.

"A meeting with the President, as I'm sure you can recall. Sam gets Cerulean back while you and I are there," Leo told him.

"Can it wait a few minutes? Harry's about to get Sorted," Josh pleaded. Leo raised an eyebrow.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but the book will be here when you get back," he said. "I'm sure…Harry can wait."

"It's okay, Mr. Josh. Harry's a Gryffindor," Cerulean said. "Zach told me so."

"All right. But we'll finish this later, all right?" 

"All right," Cerulean agreed. Josh put the book down and Cerulean clambered down to the floor, disappearing momentarily behind the desk.

"Donna, would you take Cerulean back to Sam?" Leo asked. 

"Sure. Come on, Cerulean, let’s go find Mr. Sam." Donna took Cerulean by the hand. 

"Bye, Mr. Josh. Bye, Mr. Leo," Cerulean said. She waved and they walked away. Leo looked at Josh’s slightly dreamy and almost smirked. Josh enchanted by a kid's book and a five year old. Who would have thought that was possible?


	4. Goodbye...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All good things come to an end. It's time to bring Cerulean to the proper authorities. Problem is, Sam and Cerulean have grown attached to each other, and Sam hates to say goodbye

When Cerulean and Donna reached Sam's office, he had just gotten off the phone with Child Protective Services. They'd picked up her brothers this morning and they wanted him to bring Cerulean to them. Sam had half a mind to tell them no, but did he really have a legitimate claim to? 

"Hi, Mr. Sam!" Cerulean said. "Mr. Josh read me Harry Potter, a book Zach likes, and it was so fun!"

"That's great, Cerulean. But it's time to go," Sam said.

"Go where? More 'sploring?" she asked excitedly.

"No. Donna, can you give us a minute?" Donna looked at Cerulean sadly, but she exited.

"What's going on?" Cerulean said. She came over to Sam.

"Your father is in jail right now," Sam said, lifting Cerulean onto his lap. "He'll be there until his trial. After that, he'll go back to jail if he's found guilty."

"Okay. What happens then?" Cerulean pulled Fred closer.

"Well, someone has to take care of you and your brothers. Because your mother isn't around, Child Protective Services will take you."

"Take us where?" she asked, eyes wide.

"They have a special place for children whose parents are unable to take care of them," Sam said. "Child Protective Services find a home for you, a good one."

"But I don't want to go," Cerulean said quietly. "Jeremy'll know what I did. He'll be mad, Mr. Sam, real mad. And what if there's another Daddy out there and they give me to him?"

"They won't. They'll give you to someone good."

"Will I get to come back and see you?" Cerulean asked. Sam stopped.

"Probably not. But we'll come to see you." Cerulean rested her head on his shoulder. She didn't speak for a long time.

"Okay," Cerulean said finally. "Do I get to say goodbye?"

*

Their first goodbye was Toby; he was just next door. Toby was composed, but he pressed the pink bouncy ball into Cerulean's hand and she got to take it with her.

They went to C.J. next. She was sad to see Cerulean go. C.J. gave Cerulean a hug and promised to take her out for some girl time, preferably not involving hydrogen peroxide.

Cerulean said goodbye to Donna, Kathy, Bonnie, Ginger and Ainsley. They bid farewell to Charlie and Mrs. Landingham. Then Charlie let them into the Oval Office.

*

"Mr. President?" Charlie said. "It's Sam and Cerulean."

"Let them in," Bartlet said. Cerulean walked in first, followed by Sam. Both seemed rather disappointed.

"Mr. President, I have to take Cerulean to Child Protective Services," Sam said. The reluctance was as evident on his face as it was in his voice. Bartlet nodded.

"I see. This is goodbye, then, Cerulean?" he said. The little girl nodded grimly.

"Thank you, Mr. President, for helping me," Cerulean said. "Last night was fun."

"You're very welcome. It was a pleasure to have you," Bartlet said. Cerulean looked to Josh.

"Thanks for reading with me, Mr. Josh. I liked the book."

"Me too. I'll be finishing it with you soon," Josh promised. Cerulean nodded.

"Goodbye, Mr. President. Mr. Leo. Mr. Josh." She went around and held the hand of each man for a minute. Then Cerulean went back to Sam.

"We can go now, Mr. Sam," she said.

"All right." Sam looked at Leo. "I'll be back soon."

"Take your time," Leo replied. Sam took Cerulean by the hand and they walked out of the Oval Office. Bartlet watched their retreating backs with a sense of foreboding.

"She's gonna be okay, isn't she?" Josh asked, voicing Bartlet's silent thought. "I mean, I feel like we're sending her off to Calcutta or something."

"I feel it too. I hope she gets a good home soon," Bartlet said. "Ideally, her brothers will take care of her..."

*

Sam and Cerulean drove to the Child Protective Services building. Cerulean asked for music, so Sam turned on the tape that was already in. It happened to be Billy Joel, which fascinated Cerulean.

"Those were so pretty," she said as they got out of the car. 

"They were," Sam agreed. "I… I guess this is goodbye."

"Yeah," Cerulean said, looking at the parking lot instead of his face. "Thank you, Mr. Sam. Thanks for everything."

"Thank you, Cerulean. It's been a…an interesting few days," Sam said. Cerulean nodded. She held her arms out and Sam picked her up. Cerulean held onto him for a few minutes. Sam let her, already missing the welcome weight in his arms.

"Okay, let's go," Cerulean mumbled into his shoulder. Sam carried her into the building. Fred dangled from her clasped hands, bouncing off Sam's back. The receptionist looked up when they entered. She stared them a moment, somewhat confused. Sam noted her name was Brenda B. 

"Can I help you?" Brenda asked finally.

"This is Cerulean Barber," Sam said. Realization dawned on Brenda's face.

"Oh! This way." Brenda got up. She led Sam and Cerulean to a room down the hall. There were four little beds and three young girls inside. Sam put Cerulean down as the girls paused in their activities to look at them.

"Girls, this is Cerulean. She's going to share your room," Brenda said. "Say hello."

"Hi," the girls said in unison.

"Hi," Cerulean replied.

"Sir, I need you to fill out some paperwork," Brenda said. "Cerulean, your brothers will be along shortly."

"Thank you. Bye, Mr. Sam," Cerulean said.

"Goodbye, Cerulean." Sam waved as he followed the receptionist back to her desk. After a moment, she turned to him.

"You know, I was confused earlier, because, when I saw you, I thought she was yours," Brenda told him. Sam nodded. I wish. Brenda reached her desk and presented Sam with a large stack of paperwork. He sighed. Bureaucracy at its best.

As Sam was finishing the needlessly large and overly redundant paperwork, he heard a loud shriek. Both Sam and Brenda looked up sharply.

"Ms. B! Ms. B!" A little girl came running out. "One of the boys is tryina break Cerulean's arm!" Sam shot up and ran back to the room. A teenage boy had Cerulean's arm in a painful squeeze. Sam and Brenda pulled him off. Cerulean clutched Sam, sobbing.

"You turned him in! How could you?" the boy demanded. Another boy, who looked remarkably like Cerulean, came in, furious.

"Jeremy! You dick!" The second boy tackled the first. The first boy was older and stockier, but the second was taller and quicker. They wrestled on the ground while a third boy who couldn't have been more than eight, watched fearfully.

"You two stop that!" Brenda ordered. The boys paid her no heed, so she called for help. Cerulean buried her face in Sam's shoulder.

"Don't leave me, Mr. Sam! Don't leave me!"

*

Josh and Sam stayed late, working long after almost everyone else had gone home. Finally, Josh came to Sam's door. 

"Hey, you wanna grab something to drink?" he said. "I'll buy."

"Yeah. Okay," Sam said, rubbing his suddenly tired eyes. They left together. Glancing at the world clocks on his way out, Sam saw it was nearly eleven-thirty EST.

"So, um, how'd Child Protective Services go?" Josh said. "Nobody seems to know, at least nobody I talked to."

"Because I didn’t talk to anyone," Sam said as they exited the building. "It began all right. I was leaving her in a room with three other girls her age."

"Okay, I'm sensing a 'but' somewhere…"

"They had me fill out some paperwork," Sam continued, getting into Josh's car. "Exceedingly tedious, as you'd expect."

"But?" Josh said, turning the key in the ignition.

"Her older brother came in and tried to break her arm." Josh winced. "We pulled him off, he started yelling at her, and then another brother came in. He tackled the first," Sam said. "Finally, they got separated, but Cerulean wouldn't stop crying."

"That sounds awful."

"Understatement of the month. You might be in the running for understatement of the year, actually."

"Please, I always win that," Josh replied. "She'll be okay, Sam. She's a tough little girl."

"I feel so guilty."

"Sam, you're not her dad. It's not your fault," Josh said.

"She was begging me not to leave."

"That doesn't make her your responsibility."

"But I feel responsible, Josh! Dammit! I've been responsible for her for two days, and it doesn't just turn off!" Sam exclaimed.

"You're not her dad! You can't just take care of her all the time! It's not allowed!" Josh said.

"I know, I know." Sam sighed. "Do you still have that book on the string theory from Rosslyn? I may need something to distract me."

"You can have it, but I don't think you'll need it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am well aware that this is not how CPS works. However, I originally wrote this before I had any idea how CPS and DYFUS operate, so bear with me. I will probably fix this one day, but not this day.


	5. One in A Million

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Senior Staff and Cerulean continue to see each other, though it's a little difficult. Zach Barber has a request for Sam that will change everything...if Sam accepts. And everyone seems to have an opinion on it.

"Toby, what's Sam doing?" C.J. asked, glancing at the young man on the floor of his office.

"Reading a book on string theory." Toby didn't even look at Sam's office as he finished something on his desk. "What can I do for you?"

"You can tell me why Sam is on the floor with string theory."

"He's ahead of schedule and needs to distract himself."

"Distract himself? From…oh, wait," C.J. said, finding the answer. "He hasn't gotten to see Cerulean, has he?"

"The adoption agency hasn't cleared him yet," Toby replied. "Hasn't cleared anyone, even though we all work in the White House…" His statement turned into a grumble halfway through. C.J. smiled.

"You too, huh?"

"What, you haven't?"

"Of course I have, Toby, she's one of the loveliest children I've ever met," C.J. said. "Has Josh tried?"

"The way he's shouting at Ed and Larry points to yes."

"You know, if we all get approved, we may wind up meeting at the same time," C.J. said.

"And Leo would not be happy if we were all absent simultaneously," Toby finished. 

"Maybe we should work on a schedule." C.J. smiled. Toby nodded.

"Schedules are good."

*

A week later…

"Josh?" Crap, Josh thought as he froze, I've been caught. Josh turned to see Leo. They stood in the hallway between Josh’s bullpen and the exit, Josh heading from the former to the latter.

"Hey, Leo."

"Where are you going?" Leo asked.

"Me? Oh, nowhere, just stepping out, getting some fresh air…"

"With a children's book?" Josh looked down to see Harry Potter sticking out of his jacket pocket. He winced.

"Yeah, um, about that…"

"Josh,” Leo said, approaching his deputy. His face was stern. “You're going to see Cerulean, aren't you?"

"What? No! ...yeah…" Josh admitted. "Sorry…" Leo sighed.

"You people do realize this is the White House? And that I shouldn't have to patrol for escaping stuff, taking time out of a very busy schedule?"

"Who else tried to escape?" Josh asked.

"I caught Sam yesterday, but C.J. and Toby have managed to elude me so far."

"How'd they pull that off?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't tell you," Leo said. "I'm going to have to make a schedule for you people, so I'm never too short-staffed."

"Actually, Toby and C.J. made one, which Donna's in charge of."

"Really?" Leo said, lifting an eyebrow. "And when was I going to know about this?"

"Well, we voted and Toby was gonna do it, but not until he was caught…and he hasn't gotten caught," Josh said, realization dawning on him. "You know, he mighta planned that."

"You think?"

*

Though Leo disapproved for a reason not one of them could name, the five conspirators continued to see Cerulean. Josh managed to read the entirety of the first Harry Potter book with her on Mondays; Toby had Tuesdays to teach Cerulean about all kinds of sports; C.J. spent her Wednesdays giving Cerulean all sorts of female life lessons, or so Sam was led to believe; Donna and the child would disappear for hours on Thursdays and Fridays, not telling anyone where they went. 

Sam went to see Cerulean on the weekends. He never really had a plan. A vast percentage of the time, Sam and Cerulean stayed at the adoption center. They talked, mostly. Sometimes, Cerulean would want to play a game or brought her brothers along. Never the oldest, the half-brother Jeremy, as he'd been separated from the others after his scuffle with Zach. There had been some talk of juvie or a mother’s family. Either way, he was gone.

Zach was the second oldest. He didn't quite trust Sam; Zach watched suspiciously when Cerulean invited him. Sam could understand the mistrust. Zach also tried to, whether consciously or not, be very different from his father. Jason and Cerulean weren't allowed to even poke each other in jest. Zach never punished them physically, he just gave them a look and they stopped whatever they were doing. Sam knew a few people who wished they had that power.

Jason, oddly enough, didn't look like the other three. He was delicate, pale, and sandy-haired where they were sturdy, peachy and dark. Sam had to assume Jason took after the absent Mrs. Barber, as the resemblance between Thomas and three of his children was frightening at times. However, Sam also noticed the Cerulean and Jason, despite their differences, fit together like puzzle pieces. Jason always knew what Cerulean was going to say and was handing her things before she had said she wanted them. Jason, from what Sam could gather, only had female friends. The other boys wouldn't play with him because of a pinkish blanket he was forever pulling out of his pocket. The girls thought it was adorable and liked to play House with him as the baby. That was definitely going to help Jason in the girl department when he grew up.

Actually, Sam could see all three Barbers growing to be great people.

*

Sam came into the adoption building one Sunday morning as the Barbers were returning from Sunday school. They entered shortly after he did. Cerulean was hiccupping and wiping at her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked, going over to them and crouching down to their level.

"She won't tell us," Zach replied, frustration melting into his voice. "I'd bet good money it was one of those little snots she goes to school with."

"They're not snots," Jason said quietly.

"Yeah, they are," Cerulean said, sniffling. "It was Kelly, Mr. Sam, She was sayin' mean things cuz I told you guys about Daddy."

"You shouldn't listen to her, Cer. She just wishes she had friends at the White House," Jason said.

"But then Kaylee started makin' fun of me cuz we don't have a mom or a daddy!" Cerulean wailed. "She said no one would want me cuz I'm a tattletale!"

"That's not true," Zach and Sam said together.

"The President thinks you're cool," Zach continued. "The lady on C-SPAN said so. Something about 'extreme bravery in the face of a home of hostility' or something…"

"I wrote that," Sam said. "We all think you're great, Cerulean. We'd love to have you."

"Really?" Cerulean said, eyes shining. Zach's head snapped to Sam so fast Jason gasped.

"Of course. You're fabulous," Sam told her. Cerulean beamed and threw her arms around his neck.

"Cerule, Jason, go get into playclothes now. Those need to be ready for school," Zach said. The smaller children ran off, giggling about some secret shared joke. Zach looked at Sam as the man stood.

"Did you mean that?" he asked. "You'd love to have her?"

"Yeah, she's great. We were just talking-"

"Would you adopt her?" Sam stopped mid-sentence, caught off guard.

"Me?" he said.

"Yeah, you. She's always talking about you."

"Zach, do you know where I work?" Sam said. "I couldn't adopt her, I rarely get home before eleven at night-"

"Cerule says you're the smartest guy ever. You'd figure it out," Zach interrupted. "Look, Mr. Seaborn, I'm gonna lay it out for you. I can't take care of Cerule. She's a girl and I'm a boy. They like to separate boys and girls. Jason, I can keep an eye on. Cerule, that's not so easy."

"Another thing is people like cute little girls. They won't take older brothers too, so if some weirdo takes her home, there's nothing I can do. I want my sister to be safe, Mr. Seaborn."

"And you think I can do that?" Sam said, Rosslyn's panic flashing before his eyes.

"So far, you're the only guy I've met that I trust enough for that," Zach said. "Of course, you could just be the latest loser to let her down…" He gave Sam that look he used to control his siblings.

"Mr. Sam, let's go somewhere fun!"

*

"Sam…Sam!" Josh said. Sam looked up. They were all staring at him, Josh, C.J., Toby and Leo. Sam had apparently zoned out of a Senior Staff meeting in Leo’s office.

"I'm sorry. What are we talking about?" Sam asked, trying to regain some dignity.

"Tobacco lawsuits," Toby said. "Something on your mind?"

"No, I can do this," Sam said.

"You missed it, actually. We just wrapped up," Leo said, unable to keep a smirk off of his face. "It was particularly entertaining when Josh tried to throw his coffee in the trash and hit you instead. You may want a new shirt." Sam looked at his shoulder to see the dry brown stain. So much for dignity.

"Josh!"

"Hey, I told you to duck!" Josh protested. "It's not my fault you didn't move. What were you thinking about, anyway?"

"Nothing."

"Remind me never to come to Sam when I've murdered someone," Josh said. "You absolutely suck at lying."

"You're already planning homicides?" C.J. asked, a mix of alarm and amusement crossing her face.

"Best to do it when I can get a Presidential pardon, don't you think?" Josh replied, smiling.

"That's a good point," Toby agreed.

"Can you wait until after we get re-elected?" Leo said, slightly exasperated. "Other than that, we're done here. Josh, fill Sam in on what he missed while he was dreaming."

"Okay. Come on, dreamer." Josh and Sam left Leo's office. Josh quickly told Sam about Big Tobacco as they walked to Sam's office.

"Now do you want to talk about whatever it is that you've been thinking about all day?" Josh said "You kinda owe me one now…"

"You owe me a new shirt," Sam replied.

"Yeah, but it got you out of trouble with Leo! Come on, tell me…" Josh started poking Sam in the arm.

"Josh, leave me alone."

Poke, poke, poke.

"Josh, this is extremely childish!"

Poke, poke, poke.

"Quit it, Josh!"

Poke, poke, poke.

"That's enough!" Sam reached up and grabbed Josh's hand.

"Come on!" Josh whined, undeterred. "I'm your best friend! Please?"

"Fine, just stop!"

"Okay." Josh, now satisfied, sat in one of Sam's guest chairs. He looked far too pleased with himself, Sam noted as he sat in his own chair.

"Don't you have work to do?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I gotta meet with Congressman Philips in a few minutes, but this is way more fun. Spill it, Sam, what's bugging you?"

"Zach," Sam said. Josh raised an eyebrow.

"Zach? What about him?"

"He asked me- he asked me to adopt Cerulean," Sam blurted. 

"Really? Cool," Josh said, liking the idea. He then thought it through and his face fell. "No, wait…not cool. I mean, it would be cool, but you can't do that."

"I told him that."

"What did he say?"

"He said I would be the latest loser to let her down," Sam recalled. The words still stabbed at him, as they did every time they replayed in his head.

"Ouch. But it's not feasible. Like you said earlier, eighteen hour workdays, no significant others, people blame us for things outside our control…"

"Yes, I'm aware of that," Sam said, peeved. "You're a master of the obvious."

"So, you're not thinking about it, are you?" Josh asked, oblivious as well as obvious.

"Well, actually…"

"Sam!" Josh whined.

"What? I'm allowed to think about it! Besides, it was Zach who asked! Him, I can say no to…I think," Sam admitted. "And…it would be great."

"Of course it would, Cerulean's the most awesome kid on the planet!" Josh said. "Barber's an idiot for not realizing what he had. Kids like her are one in a million."

"Exactly. But…it's not possible," Sam said reluctantly. "So, let's not tell anyone about this."

"Yeah, all right. See you later, gotta deal with Congressman Wilkes." Josh left. Sam looked at the folders on his desk. One in a million…

*

"Sam, I heard about Zach," C.J. said, coming up to him as he and Josh walked down the hallway. Sam scowled in Josh's direction. 

"You said you weren't going to tell anyone!"

"It was Donna, and it was an accident!" Josh said quickly.

"I think you should do it," C.J. continued as if they had been silent.

"It's not gonna happen-"

"Quiet, Joshua. I've been talking with Toby-"

"Toby knows?"

"Everyone knows, Sam. Anyway, Toby and I have come up with a possible schedule you could use," C.J. finished.

"Really?" Sam said, intrigued. One in a million…

"Does your schedule involve quitting?" Josh said. "Sam's not quitting. We come first, right, Sam?"

"I don't want to quit," Sam agreed.

"You wouldn't have to. You'd work at home in the afternoons when Cerulean gets out of school," C.J. said. 

"Sam can't do that! What if we need him to sit in on meetings?" Josh said.

"He'll do meetings in the a.m. and we can call him with any updates," C.J. replied. "And some days we can watch her in the office."

"And we wouldn't get any work done," Josh said.

"We'll use Toby's turn idea. It can work," C.J. said. "Just think about it, Josh, you'll get to read Harry Potter in the comfort of your own office."

"Sam, please tell C.J. this is an absolutely ridiculous idea," Josh said, turning to Sam. Sam was considering the suggestion, which was apparently the opposite of what Josh wanted to see. "Sam!"

"What? I'm allowed to think about it!"

"No! You're not! You're supposed to agree with me and tell C.J. it's a stupid idea!"

"But it's not! C.J.'s idea is very reasonable, and we know she and Toby make great schedules!"

"Oh, yeah? How about late-night stuff?" Josh asked. "C.J., does your schedule plan for that?"

"You get a babysitter, like anybody else," C.J. replied. "Have you never met parents, Josh? Babysitters are very normal."

"What about…Campaigning! Yeah, what about campaigning?" Josh said triumphantly. "We campaign during the school year and we can't campaign and home-school simultaneously."

"I'll work on that." C.J. walked away. Josh smirked.

"See? She didn't think about that."

"You said we," Sam pointed out. "We can't home-school."

"Do you really think the President or the First Lady would pass up an opportunity to teach someone?" Josh replied. "As for the rest of us, we're a bunch of chatty know-it-alls. We'd wanna help too."

*

"Hey, Sam. Can I talk to you for a second?" Leo asked. Sam, who had just come up from Ainsley's office, nodded.

"I heard you were asked to adopt Cerulean." Leo said as they started walking. Sam sighed.

"I am never telling Josh anything ever again."

"That's a fine idea, Sam, a fine idea. But I don't think you should adopt Cerulean," Leo said.

"Why not?" Sam inquired as they entered Leo's office.

"You know almost nothing about children," the older man began.

"I've learned a lot since I met Cerulean."

"Your schedule doesn't allow for it."

"C.J. and Toby are trying to make a schedule for me," Sam said. "They've gotten really good with those things."

"We're campaigning in a year."

"They're working on that."

"Puberty's gonna be Hell."

"It's not that bad."

"I also looked at Cerulean's adoption file," Leo said, gesturing at Sam with the folder in question. "Did you know her mother ran out on the family when Cerulean was a year old?"

"No. That's really awful, but why does it matter at this point?" Sam asked.

"Cerulean's parents are a runner and a terrorist," Leo declared.

"And?"

"That doesn't sound like a good combination for a child in the White House," Leo said. Sam stared at him for a second.

"Excuse me?" Sam said finally.

"I'm just saying-"

"You're accusing of something you know nothing about!" Sam said. "My God! You think she's going to be exactly like her parents?"

"It's not unlikely-"

"Yes, it is! Do you think everyone turns out just like their parents? I'm not a lying, cheating asshole like my father! The President's not a sexist egotist like his father!"

"Sam, I-"

"You know, just because you're exactly like your father doesn't mean we all are!" Sam shouted. Leo's surprise turned to an ice cold glare that normally would have shut Sam up, but Sam was so aggravated now. Everyone kept telling him what to do and Sam would have no more of it! 

"And if I had wanted your advice, I would have asked! C.J. was presenting me with a possibility, Josh is my best friend, but no one gets to tell me how to make my life! If I want to adopt Cerulean, I'll do it! And I'll tell you something else, if anyone ever says something like that bullshit, they'll really hear it from me!" Sam stormed out, leaving behind a furious Leo, a stunned Josh, a frightened Margaret, and an amused Dr. Bartlet.


	6. Many Things To Consider

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Further controversy over the adoption question, drawing in the President, Dr. Bartlet, and Charlie. But it would seem that Sam's already made his decision.

"Did you hear what Sam did?" Abbey said. Jed sat down on the bed.

"I heard from Charlie that Sam was thinking about adopting little Cerulean Barber," he said, pulling off his shoes. "Has something else happened that I am not aware of?"

"Sam also got some advice from Leo, which Sam did not appreciate," Abbey replied. Her eyes twinkled with a mischievous light Jed knew all too well.

"Oh?" he said. "Leo and Charlie both failed to mention that."

"Charlie was with you, and you were in a bookstore."

"Yes, but Charlie knows everything that goes on in the staff, he could inform for Ron Butterfield," Jed said. "Come on, what did Leo say that got Sam unappreciative?"

"Well, I believe Sam was most upset when Leo suggested that Cerulean would be like her father and insinuated that we all grow up to be like our parents," Abbey said.

"Ah. I can understand that."

"He used you as a counterexample," Abbey said.

"Did he now?"

"He said you weren't a sexist egotist."

"That means he doesn't know very much about my father. My father got much worse," Jed grumbled, old memories trying to stir. He shoved them down. "What did Leo say?"

"Nothing. Sam didn't leave much for Leo to say, he was so furious," Abbey said, flopping back on the bed. She sighed contentedly. "It's so nice to see Sam being assertive. I've always wanted to see him grow up like that."

"What do you think about the Cerulean adoption thing?" Jed asked.

"I think it's about damn time Sam realized there's life outside the White House. You must have seen him with Cerulean, Jed, you know they connected instantly," Abbey said. "Cerulean needs a father. Sam needs family. And you know how much we all like Cerulean."

"Yes, I do." Jed nodded. "But there are many things for Sam to consider. Many, many things."

*

Zach was going to sleep when he felt someone curl up next to him. Then someone else crawled in the bed on the other side. Zach groaned as sleepiness faded.

"You guys gotta stop doing this," he muttered, pulling them both close. Cerulean hiccupped.

"I had a bad dream," she whispered.

"And someone dumped sand in my bed," Jason added under his breath. "Again."

"Geez, guys. Cerule, what was the dream this time?"

"Daddy came back and ate you guys. Then he blew the White House up," Cerule said, voice trembling in terror. "It was awful."

"Okay, that's bad. But I got you, Cerule. You're safe." Zach hugged Cerule tight with one arm and Jason with the other. He thought about Sam Seaborn, who had called with his answer. Zach looked at Cerule, closely snuggled to his heart. He smiled sadly.

"I got you, Cerule. I got you."

*

"I hate everyone in this godforsaken town!"

"Sounds like a good morning," Sam muttered to Donna. She nodded sadly.

"Four people have called him an asshole so far," Donna replied. "And two called me a bitch just cuz I work for him! That's not fair!" Sam raised his eyebrows.

"I'm very sorry to hear that, Donna. You're a lovely person, despite your employer."

"Thank you, Sam. You're my favorite."

"You're welcome." Sam walked into Josh's office. Josh had started throwing things since his outburst.

"Josh, don't throw your phone."

"You can't do it!" Josh shouted.

"You've already said that."

"Dammit, Sam! You know nothing about five-year-olds!"

"I'm learning," Sam replied, feeling a slight déjà vu. This was sounding a lot like last night's conversation, only Leo hadn't been the one shouting…

"Campaigning?" Josh demanded, breaking Sam's train of thought.

"My mother will watch her."

"Your mother?" Josh stopped yelling. He looked at Sam, something in his eyes displaying sudden conclusions. "You've already made up your mind."

"Yes, I have," Sam replied. Josh kicked the garbage can.

"Goddamit! Get out of my office!" Sam thought about reasoning with Josh, but he changed his mind and left. Sam had decided no one could tell him what he was supposed to do anymore, no matter how much or how loudly they yelled.

Sam walked past Donna, who stared at him curiously before trying to appease Josh. Sam went to his office. Dr. Bartlet was inside, admiring the Navy Jack on his wall.

"Good morning, Dr. Bartlet," Sam said, a little surprised.

"Good morning, Sam. How are you?" she asked. Dr. Bartlet had this slightly amused and knowing smile on her face. Sam could only imagine what that was about.

"Fine, ma'am. Yourself?"

"Well, Sam, I'm doing well. May I sit?"

"Of course." Dr. Bartlet took one of Sam's guest chairs. Sam sat behind his desk.

"Can I help you, Dr. Bartlet?"

"I'd come to offer some insight, if you'll have it," she replied. "I wouldn't want to upset you." She smirked and last's nights exchange with Leo popped back into Sam's head.

"Your insight is appreciated, ma'am," Sam said.

"Thank you," Dr. Bartlet said, eyes betraying her deep amusement, apparently at the memory of Sam's outburst. "I can tell, of course, that you've already made your decision in regards to the whole adoption question, and whatever I say about is moot. I would, however, like to say something about Leo."

"Leo?"

"Leo," Dr. Bartlet repeated. "Leo's an old man, Sam. He looks at Cerulean and sees Thomas. We all have, at one point or another, but it's more prevalent for Leo. To him, the enemy's kin are like the enemies. It's how he grew up."

"Are you saying I should apologize to him?" Sam asked, the very idea bitter in his mouth.

"For pointing out that he's wrong? No, Leo was wrong and should be told so. But I do think you should apologize to Leo for comparing him to his father. Neither of us knows anything about Leo's father, and I'm sure there's a reason for that."

"That's probably true," Sam admitted. "Maybe that was uncalled for."

"Maybe, maybe not. But let's also remember that Leo is your boss, and pissing him off is not going to make your life any easier," Dr. Bartlet said.

"Right."

"As for Josh…" Dr. Bartlet trailed off. Sam winced slightly, knowing that eventually he and Josh were going to have to hash out exactly why Josh didn't want what everyone else did. Josh got mad and he could stay mad, for years if he so chose. Sam would have to approach that particular landmine with extreme caution. 

"He'll have to get used to the idea," Dr. Bartlet said finally.

"How long do you think that will take, exactly?" Sam asked.

"I'm a doctor, not a psychic. Try telling him he'll be Cerulean's uncle. I think he may like that," Dr. Bartlet suggested.

*

Charlie was very glad he wasn't the President.

Now, Charlie really liked President Bartlet, he was an okay guy when he wasn't rambling about National Parks or the Crusades. But Charlie wouldn't want to have deal with Leo in a bad mood, or argue with the First Lady over the best forms of childcare. Those two were people Charlie didn't want to mess with. He certainly wouldn't want to have to decide how to deal with an India-Pakistan crisis. No sir, Charlie would much rather run errands and endure long stories he had no interest in whatsoever.

Right now, Charlie was doing a school assignment, reading a textbook. The President was in the Oval with Leo, probably talking about Sam again. Sam was stirring up all kinds of feelings with this whole adoption thing. Leo and Josh didn't want it; C.J. and Toby were making another schedule as if it were already decided; the First Lady and President Bartlet were discussing childcare for it (the schedule wasn't complete yet), which made them argue about their kids. Charlie just kept quiet. It was a whole lot easier than jumping in the middle of things, and no one yelled at him for keeping his nose where it belonged: in his textbook.

"Hey, Charlie!" Speak of the devil. There was Sam, walking up with what Charlie guessed was a copy of the speech for farmers. Charlie looked up from his book.

"Hey, Sam. What can I do for you?" Charlie said. Sam stared at Charlie a moment, the realization in his eyes leading Charlie to believe he knew what Sam was going to say next.

"I can't believe I didn't think of this before. Charlie, have you heard-"

"I've heard about the Cerulean thing," Charlie said.

"What do you think about it? I mean, you're the only single parent-figure I know, and you should know more about these kind of things than I do." Charlie put his book down.

"You're not gonna yell at me if I say something you don't like?" Charlie said. Sam shook his head. "Okay then. I think it's a great idea, if you can pull it off."

"Pull it off?"

"Taking care of little girls isn't easy. I know C.J. and Toby are helping you out, but it's no mean feat. You know what you're signing up for, don't you?"

"Yeah, I know. I mean, I'm pretty sure."

"And then there's Cerulean to think about here. Does she want you to do this? You don't want her against it, and you certainly don't want her feeling powerless."

"Yeah."

"Otherwise, I think you're good, man. You want anything else?" Charlie asked. Sam, who suddenly seemed a little less confident, nodded.

"I have to give this to the President," he said.

"Okay, I'll get you in." Charlie stood and opened the door to the Oval Office. President Bartlet and Leo stopped their conversation. "Mr. President?"

"Yes?" the President said.

"Sam's here, sir, with the farmers speech," Charlie said.

"Send him in." Charlie stepped back to let Sam in. Leo looked especially sour when Sam entered and Charlie hung by the door, in case Sam needed back up.

"Hello, Sam. May I see the speech?" President Bartlet asked. Sam handed it to him.

"Leo…" Sam said, hesitant. "I…I'm sorry for what I said about you and your father. It wasn't something I should have said."

"Thank you, Sam," Leo replied. "I'm sorry I upset you." Sam blinked. Charlie saw Bartlet's eyes slide from the speech to Leo. It was a long silence before Sam said:

"Apology accepted." He smiled, not his real Seaborn grin, just a quick, reluctant flash of teeth. Sam looked to the President. "I'll be in my office if there's a problem, sir."

"Thank you, Sam. You can go." With Bartlet's answer, Sam left. Charlie spotted the angry flare in Sam's eye and decided to never, ever get in between Leo and Sam.


	7. The Second First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toby gets to the bottom of Josh's issue with the adoption question while Sam goes to ask Cerulean what she thinks of the idea.

"Josh, you're an idiot," Toby said. Josh threw a pen at him.

"You are the seventh person to tell me that in the last hour. Give me a reason to not make you my first Democrat victim after the re-election."

"You are being childish."

"Some people say that's one of my best qualities," Josh replied.

"Giving Sam the silent treatment because you're afraid he's going to forget you is not your best quality behavior," Toby said, throwing the pen back.

"I'm not afraid he's gonna forget me, and I am not giving him the silent treatment."

"Sure you're not. You're also a Republican."

"Toby!"

“Sam is your best friend, Josh, you're the last person he's gonna forget. He'd probably like to forget Leo sometimes, but he's not going to forsake us!"

"How would you know?" Josh demanded. "You can't raise a five-year-old by yourself when you work in the White House!"

"Sam's not doing it alone! Have you ever heard the saying, 'it takes a village to raise a child?'" Toby said. "We're the village. We're a dysfunctional, semi-insane village at best, but we're the village. We'll be helping Sam, whether he's realized that or not."

*

Sam went to the adoption center that afternoon. The Barbers were together in the playroom. Cerulean and Jason were playing with the dollhouse while Zach watched.

"I don't know how to farm," Jason said, waving a figure around.

"Me either. Do you think we can make it up? No one's gonna listen anyway," Cerulean replied, a doll in hand. "It's probably got something to do with sheep."

"And cows," Jason added. "Lotsa cows."

"Hi, Mr. Seaborn," Zach said, seeing Sam. Jason and Cerulean looked up. Cerulean dropped her doll and ran over to Sam, eyes lit up.

"Hi, Mr. Sam!"

"Hi, Zach. Hi, Cerulean. Hi, Jason."

"Hi," Jason said shyly. He looked at Sam's shoes, hiding a little bit.

"Whatcha doin', Mr. Sam? It's Miss C.J.'s day," Cerulean said.

"We traded today," Sam said, picking Cerulean up. "Miss C.J. will come Saturday."

"Oh. Why?" Cerulean asked.

"I have a question for you," Sam said. "Can I borrow her, guys?"

"Yeah," Zach said. Jason nodded.

"We can finish farmin' later," he said.

"We're not farmin', we're writin' about farmin," Cerulean said. Sam did his best to hide a laugh.

"I thought we were farmin'!" Jason stood, both shocked and indignant. Zach laughed.

"Jason, I'll farm with you," he said. He waved Sam off with a knowing smile. Sam carried Cerulean out.

"What's the question, Mr. Sam?" she asked.

"You know what adoption is, right?" Sam said.

"Yeah, they told us. A grown-up signs a bunch of papers and they get to take you home with them," Cerulean said.

"It's not quite as quick as that, but it is the general idea."

"The general of ideas? Who's that?" Cerulean said. Sam laughed.

"No, I'm saying you understand the main point," he told her.

"Oh."

"Have you thought about it, Cerulean?" Sam asked.

"Thought about what?"

"Adoption."

"Oh. A little," she said. "Why?"

"Well, I was thinking…would you like me to adopt you?" Sam said.

"Yeah!" Cerulean said, nearly shrieking. She smiled widely and clapped her hands. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"

"Good," Sam said with a relieved laugh. "Everyone at the White House is really excited; you should hear C.J. talk about this…"

*

Josh looked at his phone. It was early evening and Josh found himself without work at the moment. Sam had left a while ago. He'd been nervous, more nervous than when he was going to propose to Lisa.

"I'm gonna ask Cerulean," Sam had said to Donna. Both were completely unaware that Josh was listening.

"That's a great idea, Sam," Donna had said, working on her computer.

"What if she says no?"

"Why would she say no? She adores you," Donna had replied.

"I don't know, but she might," Sam had said. Josh had remembered having a very similar conversation the night before the proposal. Sam always did this, he was always certain people weren't going to like him, which was stupid, everyone liked Sam.

"Sam, don't be ridiculous. She'll say yes. Now go and ask her, I have work to do."

In the present, Josh put his head on his hand. He should call, right? He was Sam's best friend, despite their argument…Josh stared at the phone some more.

"Josh." Josh looked up to see C.J. and Toby at his door.

"Yeah?" he said.

"You gonna call or what?" C.J. asked.

"How long have you been standing there?" Josh said. 

"Far too long," Toby replied. "Pick up the phone, Josh."

"Fine." Josh shrugged. He picked up the phone as per request. Josh dialed and the other two sat in his guest chairs. Josh put the phone on speaker.

"Hello?" Sam said.

"Hey, Sam, how'd it go?" Josh asked.

"Great! I've already started on the paperwork."

"How long is that going to take?" Toby said.

"Several months," Sam admitted. "Are you all there?"

"It's me, C.J. and Toby," Josh said. "Donna may have picked up her phone, too."

"I see."

"This is a story I don't want getting out. Senior Staff holes up in one office for a phone call," C.J. chuckled.

"Screw the Press, there are more important stories to break," Toby said. There was a muffled noise on Sam's end.

"Guys, Cerulean wants to talk to you," Sam said, trying not to laugh.

"As long as Toby can keep it PG, we can do that," C.J. teased. Toby scowled at her. Sam passed the phone.

"Hi!" Cerulean chirped.

"Hi, Cerulean," C.J. said.

"Hey, kid," Josh said.

"Hello," Toby finished.

"That was lame," Josh said. Cerulean giggled.

"It was succinct. I know full well who she is."

"How are you, honey?" C.J. asked.

"Really good! Mr. Sam's gonna adopt me. And, and he says you guys are gonna be my uncles now, 'cept you, Miss C.J. you're gonna be my aunt."

"That's right."

"I guess that means we'll be seeing you more often," Josh said.

"Yeah! Mr. Sam, he says he's got a schedule, and I'll get to go to the White House again! I'll get to see Mr. Charlie and Mr. President again!"

"Josh," Donna said, coming in. You have another call."

"Yeah. I'll talk to you later, kid, I gotta go," Josh said.

"Kay. Bye, Mr. Josh."

"Bye." Josh left C.J. and Toby with the phone. Donna held out her own phone and Josh took it.

"Yeah?" he said.

"Hey," Sam said. "I wanted to talk to you. Alone."

"Okay, talk."

"Are you really okay with this now?" Sam asked/

"Yeah. I was being…stupid, as Toby so kindly pointed out," Josh said. "You really want to do this, Sam, you should do it. And it's sounding better every minute."

"Good. I really want…I need you on board for this."

"Consider me a sailor on your ship, then," Josh said. Sam laughed.

"Thanks, Josh. See you tomorrow."

"See ya." Josh put the phone down. He went back to his office, where Cerulean was chattering excitedly with C.J. and Toby. Josh smiled when he realized how normal this was going to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of the beginning, folks! There are more adventures for Cerulean to come, some fun and some not-so-fun. We'll meet Sam's parents and a few others, see more of Thomas and Zach, find out where the Barber boys end up, and where the new Seaborn family ends up living.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in one of the lowest points at my life, when the West Wing was one of the only things I could cling to. I never expected to share it with anyone. Cerulean's story is completely unlike mine, but it has helped me get through some tough times. It means the world to me that Cerulean and her story are delighting other people as much as they have me. I would love to hear what Cerulean means to you, so feel free to leave comments or message me on my tumblr.


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